Anyone Else Considering Walking Away From Speedway?

[Shale Searcher]

I have been involved, albeit in a small way with the track prep at Leicester since 1981, and when Leicester closed, still kept involved with Kings Lynn until around 1989, and I have loved speedway, since 1972.. Apart from a brief 4 yr stint supporting Long Eaton during the Leicesterless years, I have always believed that the top division in the UK was where I wanted to be..

 

When Leicester joined the Elite League 3 seasons ago, I was finally happy, or so I thought..

 

But things have gone from bad to worse, what a bloody shambles this league is. Promoters that don't promote, riders that well, at best, use this league for pin money, no loyalty, no team spirit, and most have no thought for the paying fans.

 

I have always tried to make allowances for them, the riders, but now I am so disillusioned with speedway, I think this will be my last season as a supporter and volunteer..

 

I don't think I want to drop to premier league, or national league, I want to see the best that is available, end of......

 

Unless, the AGM makes some radical changes, and stops sitting on its arse and self congratulating itself, that's me done....

Edited September 19, 2016 by Shale Searcher

[orion]

Not sure why the league always gets the blame . The botton line evis that the lions have been run poorly. I always thought if you are ran well you can do well .far to much blaming other people in speedway

[spanner47]

Also at the end of my tether after 45 years. I don't want to be at a stadium for over 2 hours (it's 2016 and most of us have busy lives), 90 minutes maximum unless there's a serious injury.

But the 3 main things

1, stop this messing around at the start!

2, stop this messing around at the start!!

3, stop this messing around at the start!!!

It's getting very tedious, doesn't appear to be a problem in other Countries, so it must be our rules and refs are too weak. Obviously getting rid of Chris Gay would be a start in that department, refs like him seem to get pleasure seeing riders burn out clutches.

[Daniel Smith]

Always use to book my holidays around Speedway fixtures, for the first time this season I've only been to half the home fixtures.

Next season could be even less, the only reason to attend now is if my little girl fancies going.

She went to her first meeting last week (King's Lynn v Poole) and loved it.

Almost 2 now and she can't stop going "bikes, noise, let's go".

She's maybe likely to have forgotten about it by next March but she does watch it on TV so I'll have to wait and see.

Basically, my attendance in future could be down to a 2 year old

[sparkafag]

No, funnily enough given I have consciously chosen to post on a Speedway forum I actually quite enjoy speedway.

 

People trying to impose on others how crap speedway is probably irks me more than any rules and regulations. I would walk away from this forum before I walked away from the sport.

[B.V 72]

I to have been a fan since 72 and all i can say is that my interest is dwindleing a little even though i have a great new stadium and a table topping team to support.

I hope as stated that this years agm really sits down and sorts out the leagues problems because there are many.

To name a few

The league format that has totally cocked up the average system.A system that we use to judge true team strenghts which this year lead to the heatleader list a list made up of peoples opinions and not average facts provided over a full season.God knows how they are going to sort it for next year as this year has been a bigger mess than last year.

EDrs using prem league averages as to where they are placed on the list and ignoring there form in the Elite league.

EDrs in protected heats gaining an average that then moves them straight into a heatleader spot and suprise suprise they are then well out of there depth.Which leads to riders like Pederson and Tungate etc droping into protected heats where they clean up.

An ill thought out fixture list that leads to riders being missing in most meetings we watch.I am sure that if they took there time and really did some research to look for clashes they could aviod a lot of them.

Again with the fixture list sort one out that give us regular evenly spread out home meetings not a gap of a month and then 3 in a fortnight.I am sure this would help with the attendance keep people in the habbit and not cause them to have to pay for 3 in a short period of time and maybe making them give one a miss because they cannot afford to go to all 3.

Sort out assesed averages use one system(set in stone) and not one that seems to change every year resulting in p/ing fans off.

Some might not agree with this one but it really ps me off.No tactical changes any later than say 6 weeks before the play offs.

Theres a few off the top of my head i am sure you can think of many more.Make the rules a lot more simpler like they used to be but set them in stone so hopefully there is very little room for manipulation.The sport itself is as great as it ever was its the rules and the ill thought out way its run that is spoiling it and making people walk away.

Edited September 19, 2016 by B.V 72

[robert72]

Only. Been to half a dozen meetings this year and only watched q few on sky.

 

I don't think the promoters or the majority of riders help make the sport better in fact they have dragged it down so far I cannot see the sport surviving.

[moxey63]

This comes to a lot of people. It did to me, and I no longer go. Still watch from the sidelines though, just out of interest and because it's been my life. But don't think I have it in me anymore, to wait between the heats while they mess about to come out for the heat, for example.

 

Speedway has become a bit like those shows you watch, in which you see something and believe it's really happening - the Osbornes, for example, from about 15 years ago. As time went by, I began to realise a lot of it was scripted. It's like that Made In Chelsea sort of thing.

 

I think the riders often get more out of it than the ones who pay on the terraces.

 

 

Speedway - I don't believe in it anymore. The basis of it being a team sport has gone, and the whole part of me becoming interested was that it was a team sport. You see old team photos from the past and, wow, it hits you... they were teams. I don't get that with today's line-ups. Many faces are there because it suits other engagements, or are in the line-up until he ejector seat button gets pressed and the averages allow another, a fresher face to land.

 

I wasn't even paying to get into speedway when I began losing interest. I just started getting a sickly feeling of not wanting to go, everytime Monday came at Belle Vue. I had to though, as I felt guilt if I missed a match. It was routine, my life of 30-odd years.

 

I have read on this site discussions regarding various rules, and I just can't be bothered anymore. I want things simple.. but now rules seem designed by those that run the sport to make things a bit skull scratching to normal fans who just want to see the basics.

 

How many fans now only go because they have nothing better to do, out of guilt, or think the next match may see them regain their interest?

Edited September 19, 2016 by moxey63

[Steve Shovlar]

I walk away from speedway every week. Across the car park, into my van and then home.

[LisaColette]

I walk away from speedway every week. Across the car park, into my van and then home.

Hurrah!! This thread is more depressing than Eastenders!

[sparkafag]

This comes to a lot of people. It did to me, and I no longer go. Still watch from the sidelines though, just out of interest and because it's been my life. But don't think I have it in me anymore, to wait between the heats while they mess about to come out for the heat, for example.

 

Speedway has become a bit like those shows you watch, in which you see something and believe it's really happening - the Osbornes, for example, from about 15 years ago. As time went by, I began to realise a lot of it was scripted. It's like that Made In Chelsea sort of thing.

 

I think the riders often get more out of it than the ones who pay on the terraces.

 

 

Speedway - I don't believe in it anymore. The basis of it being a team sport has gone, and the whole part of me becoming interested was that it was a team sport. You see old team photos from the past and, wow, it hits you... they were teams. I don't get that with today's line-ups. Many faces are there because it suits other engagements, or are in the line-up until he ejector seat button gets pressed and the averages allow another, a fresher face to land.

 

I wasn't even paying to get into speedway when I began losing interest. I just started getting a sickly feeling of not wanting to go, everytime Monday came at Belle Vue. I had to though, as I felt guilt if I missed a match. It was routine, my life of 30-odd years.

 

I have read on this site discussions regarding various rules, and I just can't be bothered anymore. I want things simple.. but now rules seem designed by those that run the sport to make things a bit skull scratching to normal fans who just want to see the basics.

 

How many fans now only go because they have nothing better to do, out of guilt, or think the next match may see them regain their interest?

 

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[marko]

Ive been going to Arena Essex (never accepted the name Lakeside) since 1988, and there was a lot of ups and downs and plenty of the latter in the mid 2000's but it was'nt until the last three or four years that my interest has become very fragile, In 2014 i lasted about halfway then decided nah i can't be bothered with this, in 2015 i went to only one meeting which was the final one, this season i have actually been to 12 meetings at Arena (not been to away tracks since Arena went Elite) but then suddenly I have hit a rock again even though Arena are in the play offs I'm not really that bothered (I cant go anyway because of work) I think this sort of thing is always going to potentially happen to those who have been watching the sport for a long period of time and then to see the early days through rose tinted specs, maybe its just me but my most enjoyable seasons following the Hammers have always been when they were in the 2nd tier (1988-1991 & (1997-2003) but even when I don't actively go to watch the sport I still follow it on the TV or via the speedway star, so I never truly walk away, I just don't put any time or money into it.

[A ORLOV]

No but as with others I get really fed up with all the time that is wasted, especially in on a cold March or early April night.

Stop all the mucking about at the start.

On a restart, with no exclusion, the gates from the pits should not be opened and the time should be one min.

Reduce the amount of tractor racing.

[Lord Skid]

Go and watch Ice Hockey, no rain offs, no guests, no r/r, well prepared surface, 60 minutes actual action, you'll be surprised how many ex speedway supporters you will see watching.

[B.V 72]

Hurrah!! This thread is more depressing than Eastenders!

From what i have read on this forum you hardly go anyway.Apart from the potential glory end of the season.

[stevebrum]

Don't get why some blame the EL for its problems when it's a British league problem.

Don't think I could ever walk away from something that has been a huge part of my life.

Instead of going 2 or 3 times a week I go once a week now. Probably sounds a huge difference but having bought myself a bike I much prefer doing rather than watching these days.

I get more of a buzz being on the track than on the terraces these days.

So I guess my passion For the sport hasn't changed, just the way I support maybe has.

Still feel the same passion for my team and hope that the EL is made much stronger as I believe it will entice more people back.

But walking away? Never!

[B.V 72]

Don't get why some blame the EL for its problems when it's a British league problem.

Don't think I could ever walk away from something that has been a huge part of my life.

Instead of going 2 or 3 times a week I go once a week now. Probably sounds a huge difference but having bought myself a bike I much prefer doing rather than watching these days.

I get more of a buzz being on the track than on the terraces these days.

So I guess my passion For the sport hasn't changed, just the way I support maybe has.

Still feel the same passion for my team and hope that the EL is made much stronger as I believe it will entice more people back.

But walking away? Never!

If they dont sort out the fixtures it wont matter how many top boys come back as most of them will be missing for a big number of meetings anyway which will p the fans off even more.First priority is to sort out the mess that is British speedway.

[moxey63]

 

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Think your keyboard's sticking there, matey!

Edited September 19, 2016 by moxey63

[sparkafag]

 

Think your keyboards sticking there, matey!

 

Ditto…

 

Yours has been stuck posting the same turgid trash about how you no longer like speedway and wonder if others don’t like it for the same reasons as you for weeks, months and years.

 

Continuing to post about how you don’t enjoy speedway any more is achieving nothing other than verbally stroking your own ego, which is repulsive to watch, and incredibly self centred.

 

Speedway's not for you any more, great, can you not just sod off and give people who do like it peace.

Edited September 19, 2016 by The Mockingjay

[Sidney the robin]

Ditto…

 

Yours has been stuck posting the same turgid trash about how you no longer like speedway and wonder if others don’t like it for the same reasons as you for weeks, months and years.

 

Speedway's not for you any more, great, can you not just sod off and give people who do like it peace.

Dont read his posts then move on to another thread SIMPLE even for you.